[LINK] "#hypocrisy: Clement widely mocked for Twitter communism controversy"

[rfmcdonald]

It's been some time since Norman Bethune, an Ontario-born doctor who gained fame for his medical service in the Spanish Civil War and with the Communists in the Sino-Japanese War, has featured in the headlines in Canada. But, as the National Post's Josh Vitter reports, Treasury Board President and frequent Twitter user Tony Clement managed to do so via what can only be described as an unfortunate juxtaposition of tweets.

Tony Clement tweeted his way into trouble again Wednesday after he attacked a former Globe and Mail editor’s decision to move to communist Cuba — even though the Ontario Conservative MP was taking part in a ceremony honouring a Canadian expat who was a passionate communist.

The Globe’s former online editor, Stephen Wicary, had previously been subjected to a tirade from Sun TV host Ezra Levant for his move, and when he noted the irony of a Conservative honouring a communist, he received a tweetful from Clement.

As we first reported yesterday, the spat briefly continued on Twitter before Clement disengaged, possibly because he was attending the grand opening of the federally funded visitors centre at Bethune Memorial House in Gravenhurst, Ont.

The centre honours Dr. Norman Bethune, who Parks Canada says “owing to his medical accomplishments and humanitarian work Bethune also remains a celebrated individual by citizens of the People’s Republic of China and Spain.”

“Dr. Bethune is most famous for his humanitarian actions during the last two years of his life in China where he served as a surgeon and teacher. Generations after his death, his story continues to be taught as an example of selfless humanitarianism to millions of Chinese students. Three delegations traveled from China to participate in today’s official opening ceremonies,” Parks Canada adds.

Not spelled out is that Bethune was a Communist party member, and those last two years of his life were spent aiding Chairman Mao’s soldiers.

Canadians were quick to point out the apparent contradiction of Clement having no problem honouring a communist who is beloved in China — an increasingly important trading partner for Canada — and taking issue with a journalist moving to Cuba to join his wife (who had taken a job as the director of a major charity organization.)

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